30. Drago

30

DRAGO

D rago woke up naked in the landing field right beside his ship. He felt shaky and weak and confused—just as he had after the Drake had taken over his body during his manhood ceremony.

My Drake!

Suddenly he remembered feeling his other half coming out and not being able to stop him. The Drake had been determined to fight the giant spider that had been menacing Addison…and that was the last thing he remembered.

But where was his Fated Mate? Looking around frantically, Drago finally located her lying several meters away from him in the tall grass of the field. He staggered over, praying that she wasn't injured or dead. Oh Goddess, if his Drake had hurt her…

She was lying motionless on the grass, apparently unconscious. At least she wasn't dead, though—he could see her chest rising and falling. But her soft, curvy, naked body was covered in cuts and scratches.

Drago was horrified.

Goddess, what did he do to her? How did she get injured?

He searched his memory but it was a blank. Clearly he had blacked out, just as he had the first time his Drake had come out.

Guilt filled him. Once again he had lost control of the beast that lived inside him and once again someone innocent had paid the price for his weakness. Only this time, it was the woman he loved—his Fated Mate—who had been hurt. And he had been too ineffectual to protect her.

Grimly, he knelt beside her. There were some glass shards in her hair which he brushed carefully away. Maybe that was the answer to her many cuts and slices. Drago wanted badly to heal her—but he didn't know if he deserved to. He had failed her in so many ways—first he'd been unable to protect her from the giant spider and then he couldn't even protect her from his own Drake! Would she ever forgive him?

Whether she did or not, Drago knew he was never going to forgive himself.